ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: season · mate · calf · degree · current · bulb · cold · cabinet

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. season — of the year
  8. degree — an amount
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cold — not warm
  13. degree — from a university
  14. cold — an illness
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bulb — for light
  18. degree — temperature
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mate — a friend
  23. current — electric
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com